Carpet sweeper



C. C. PARRISH Feb. 10, 1942.

CARPET SWEEPER Filed 001:. 2, 1940 INYENTOR. M22571 Carl GP ATTORNEYJPatented Feb. 10, 1942 rrlcr.

CARPET SWEEPER Application October 2, 1940, Serial No. 359,309

2 Claims.

An object of my invention is to provide means, in a carpet sweeper, forpreventing rotation of the floating axles and the wheel sleeves uponwhich the traction wheels are journalled without interfering with thefreedom of floating action of the main casing relative to said axles. Afurther object of my invention is to provide means, associated with theabove-mentioned axle holding mechanism, by which downward pressures fromthe casing to the floating axles will be automatically varied inaccordance with the position of the operating handle relative to thecasing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my invention.

Fig. 1 is an end elevation of a sweeper embodying my improvements, oneof the traction wheels being partially omitted;

Fig. 2 a vertical fragmentary axial section;

Fig. 3 a fragmentary section on a larger scale on line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 a plan on a smaller scale.

In the drawing I indicates the main casing of the sweeper provided ateach end with a vertical end wall II, provided with perforations I2, I2through which the floating axle I3, I3 projects.

Each axle I3, closely outside the outer face of each end wall II istransversely notched atv I4 to receive a spring finger I5 suitablyanchored on the casing. For convenience, the two spring fingers I5 ateach end of the casing are the free divergent arms of a spring I6mounted on a headed pin I'I carried by a depending arm I8, one on eachouter end of a rock shaft I9 journalled in the end walls of the casingand provided at its middle with a radially extending arm 20 projectedthrough a slot 2| formed through the top In of the main casing I0 andadapted to receive a suitable operating handle.

Each spring finger I5 is conveniently formed of wire of round crosssection and the notch I4 has a depth somewhat less than the diameter ofthe finger, conveniently approximately one-half that diameter, the notchI I having a flat bottom against which the spring I5 lies in such manneras to resist rotation of the shaft and prevent rotation of that shaft solong as the finger I5 is prevented from movement radially away from theshaft. In order to retain finger I5 in notch I4, without interferingwith the lateral movement of shaft I3 slidingly relative to finger I5, Isleeve upon the outer end of shaft I3 a sleeve or hub 25 which, at itsinner end, is transversely slotted at 26 crosswise of the bore 21 of thesleeve and capable of being slipped over the finger I5 in such manner asto restrain said finger I5 from being moved out of notch I4 radially ofthe shaft I3 and to restrain it from movement axial- 1y of the shaft totangle with the wheel.

A traction wheel 30, if desired, may be journalled directly upon shaftI3 beyond notch I I, but in order to provide a convenient ball bearingfor the traction wheel 30, sleeve 25 is provided with a ball race 3|provided with balls 32 upon which the wheel is journalled, said wheelbeing conveniently formed by two mating stampings 33, 33 providing theball race 34.

Outward displacement of sleeve 25, which would result in a disruption ofthe interlocking relation between said sleeve and the wire I5, isprevented by nut 35 threaded on the outer end of shaft I3, accidentalremoval of this nut being prevented by a slight peening of the outer endof the shaft.

The perforation I2 in the end wall II is covered by a washer 36interposed between the outer face of the end wall II and spring fingerI5.

The usual brush 40 is provided at each end with a friction wheel IIIwhich is interposed between a pair of traction wheels 30 in any wellknown manner.

The spring fingers I5 exert downwardly and inwardly inclined forces uponthe traction wheels through the axles thereof to keep the tractionwheels in peripheral contact with the brush hub wheels so that pressureexerted upon the casing by the operating handle permits the operator toforce the brush downwardly more or less into engagement with the floor.This downward movement results in a downward. movement of the casing anda consequent increase of the distance between the two shafts I3, I3whichrelative movements are permitted because the shafts are free toslide lengthwise to their springs I5 but the springs are at all timesheld in the notches I4 by the cross notches 26 and sleeve 25 andconsequently the shafts I3 cannot rotate,

such rotation being prevented by the spring fingers I5.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a

sleeve against outward axial displacement on the axle.

2. In a carpet sweeper comprising a casing, a wheel axle having atransverse notch intermediate its length, a sleeve rotatable and axiallyslidable on the axle and having a transverse slot in one endintersecting the bore of the sleeve and registerable with the axlenotch, a spring finger anchored on the casing and slidably projectedthrough the axle notch and sleeve slot and retained by the sleeveagainst radial displacement from the axle notch, means retaining thesleeve against outward axial displacement on the axle, and a wheeljournalled on said sleeve.

CARL C. PARRISI-I.

